![]() Pfeffer at 2011 preseason training with the Union | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Zachary Pfeffer | ||
Date of birth | January 6, 1995 | ||
Place of birth | Dresher, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
2005–2008 | Montgomery United | ||
2008–2009 | YMS Celtic | ||
2009–2010 | FC DELCO | ||
2010 | IMG Soccer Academy | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2015 | Philadelphia Union | 30 | (3) |
2013 | → 1899 Hoffenheim (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2014–2015 | → Harrisburg City Islanders (loan) | 4 | (1) |
2016 | Colorado Rapids | 0 | (0) |
2016 | → Charlotte Independence (loan) | 16 | (0) |
2016 | → Colorado Springs Switchbacks (loan) | 2 | (0) |
Total | 52 | (3) | |
International career‡ | |||
2010–2011 | United States U17 | 5 | (0) |
2012–2013 | United States U18 | 9 | (2) |
2014–2015 | United States U20 | 12 | (5) |
2015 | United States U23 | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 22, 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 7, 2015 |
Zachary "Zach" Pfeffer (born January 6, 1995) is an American former professional soccer player. In 2010 at the age of 15 he became the fourth-youngest player ever to sign a Major League Soccer contract. He retired from soccer in 2016 at 21 years of age.
Pfeffer is Jewish and was born in Dresher, Pennsylvania. [1] He attended Upper Dublin High School, finishing on time as he played soccer for Union. [2] [1] He played for YMS Celtics, FC Delco Academy along with the Montgomery Maniacs as a young man in Pennsylvania before spending a semester at the U-17 national team residency at IMG in 2010. [3] [4]
After retiring from soccer in 2016 at 21 years of age, as of January 2017, he was a junior at the Fox School of Business and Management department of Temple University; he became an investment banker thereafter. [5] [6] [7]
Pfeffer then spent several months training with the Philadelphia Union first team and made an appearance for them in a friendly against C.D. Guadalajara on September 1, 2010. [8] Pfeffer was a member of Philadelphia's U-17 squad that competed in the MLS U-17 SUM Cup in Houston, Texas.
On December 22, 2010, the Union signed Pfeffer at the age of 15 as their first-ever homegrown player. [9] [7] He was the fourth-youngest player ever to sign an MLS contract, behind Freddy Adu, Fuad Ibrahim, and Diego Fagundez. [6]
He scored his first goal for the Union in a preseason friendly against UCF on February 14, 2011, off a brilliant, long-range effort. [10] He made his regular season Philadelphia Union debut on September 17 against Columbus Crew, at 16 years of age. [7] In 2015 in 21 games (11 starts) he had two goals and an assist. [2] Pfeffer was one of the longest-tenured Union players when he left the team. [2]
Pfeffer was loaned to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for the whole of 2013, beginning on January 7, 2013. [11] In the 2012–2013 campaign, Pfeffer scored 2 goals in 9 matches playing for the Hoffenheim U-19 side.
Pfeffer was traded to the Colorado Rapids in January 2016 in exchange for the overall second pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, which was used to draft defender Josh Yaro. [2] [12] [13] [14] [15] In 2014 and 2015 he played in the Major League Soccer Homegrown Game. [16]
He decided to leave soccer, to go to college and then pursue a career in finance. [2] Pfeffer explained: "I sat down and took a look where I wanted to be long-term, and I knew that in a year, five years, 10 years, the financial industry is where I wanted to be. Everything came together nicely with my contract expiring and where I was at academically and where I was professionally.... I looked at where my heart was and where my passions were. Obviously I love the game and I always will, but there was an overriding passion to pursue this next part of my life." [2] Jim Curtin, who had been his manager at Union, said: "I want to say he should still be playing because he’s that talented... It’s too young to have a career come to an end." [2]
Pfeffer represented the United States at the U-14 and U-15 levels and trained at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, as part of U.S. Soccer's U-17 residency program. [4] On April 18, 2011, he was called up to the U-17 National Team to play in the Mondial Minimes Montaigu Tournament in Montaigu, France, from April 18–26. [17]
Pfeffer was called into the first U-18 National Team camp of 2012 by then-Manager Richie Williams. [18] He was also called up to numerous U-18 National Team camps in 2012. He scored a goal in their November friendly against Canada. [19]
Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
USA | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
2011 | Philadelphia Union | Major League Soccer | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | |
2012 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
2014 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 1 | ||||
2015 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 23 | 2 | ||||
Total | USA | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
Career total | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 |
Updated January 15, 2016 [20]
Pfeffer had taken Penn State online courses during his soccer career, and completed over three semesters of college before he stopped playing soccer. [2] He as of 2020 was an investment banking analyst for Goldman Sachs. [7]
Eric Humberto Avila is an American professional soccer player who has played as a midfielder and defender.
The 2011 Philadelphia Union season was the second season of the team's existence, competing in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The team was managed by former MLS player Peter Nowak, in his second season with the club.
Norris Ethan White is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender. He last played for New York City FC in Major League Soccer.
Zachary Michael MacMath is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. He was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union.
William Alexander Trapp is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club Minnesota United.
Kellyn Kai Perry-Acosta is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and the United States national team.
Samuel Ayomide Adekugbe is a professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for Major League Soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Canada national team. Born in England, he obtained Canadian citizenship in 2016.
Brian Sylvestre is a Haitian-American professional soccer goalkeeper. Born in the United States, he represents the Haiti national team.
The 2016 New York Red Bulls season was the club's twenty first season in Major League Soccer, the top division of soccer in the United States.
Keegan Rosenberry is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Ben Swanson is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder.
Derrick Jones Amaniampong is a professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder. Born in Ghana, he played for the United States national under-23 team.
Mark Alexander McKenzie is an American professional soccer player who plays as center-back for Belgian Pro League club Genk and the United States national team.
Anthony Fontana is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle.
Djordje Aleksandar Mihailovic is an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar and the United States national team.
Matthew Joseph Real is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Samuel Marqus Lloyd Vines is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for Belgian Pro League club Royal Antwerp and the United States national team.
Corey Jacob Baird is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo.
The 2019 Philadelphia Union season was the club's tenth season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The team was managed by Jim Curtin, his sixth season with the club. Building on the previous 2018 season, the Union won their first MLS Cup Playoff match in club history, in a comeback 4–3 win against New York Red Bulls. Additionally, the team set new records for points earned within a single season (55), wins (16), and goals scored (58).
Ralph-William Johnson Priso-Mbongue is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.